Instructions
Place sand or fish gravel in the bottom of the tank. Some people like to use a mixture of both to add an interesting texture to the bottom of the tank. The substrate you add will help to filter some of the uneaten food and fish waste, keeping it out of the circulating water.
Install the filter. Every fish tank needs a filter to clean the water as it circulates. A corner filter is easy to set up at one top corner of the tank. The filter uses carbon to clean the water by forcing air through the water, creating aeration and forcing water through the filter.
Choose an air pump that works with your filter if the filter system didn't come with one. Most tabletop air filters work with a corner filter. The aeration tubing from the air pump is used with the filter according to the specific manufacturer's direction. Different corner filters have different specifications. Choose the air filter that is appropriate for your tank size. Be sure to read the box and purchase one that will work with the gallon size of your tank.
Place a hiding place or two in the tank. Many fish feel more comfortable when they can retreat into a castle, treasure box or pile of rocks when they feel threatened. An easy way to do this is to thoroughly wash a few rocks and to place them together in the tank. This creates crevices that smaller fish can hide in. For larger fish and larger tanks, choose driftwood or larger rocks.
Fill your new fish tank to the top of the tank to give the fish as much room as possible. Treat it with a chemical that will remove the chlorine from the water. The tank should then be left to settle and to allow the water to reach room temperature.
How To Set Up a New Fish Tank
Fish in an aquarium depend on a correct aquarium setup to stay healthy. There are several components any freshwater aquarium needs to keep the tank clean and to keep enough oxygen in the water. The tank and all of the components should be clean before the fish tank is set up for inhabitants. Scrubbing down all of the equipment with plain water will keep the tank from being tainted with soap or cleaning chemicals.